Fusarium verticillioides is a soil-borne plant pathogen of maize plants (Zea mays L.) responsible for major yield losses by causing root, stalk, and ear rot and quality losses due to mycotoxin accumulation on grains. Recently, biological control practices have proven to be effective in controlling plant pathogens and the selection of distinct biocontrol agents with new competitive abilities is essential since they characterize new pathogen control approaches. This study aimed to isolate maize rhizobacteria as potential biocontrol agents against F. verticillioides and to evaluate their effect on maize seedlings’ growth. Among several candidates, the isolates Bacillus safensis RF69, Bacillus sp. RP103 and Bacillus sp. RP242 were selected due to an intense in vitro antifungal ability. All individual rhizobacterial treatments and a Combined Bacterial Mixture (CBM) were effective in reducing fungal counts on non-rhizospheric soil and on maize seedling rhizosphere, as well as in improving seedling growth parameters in comparison to the control plants. Treatments with the isolate Bacillus sp. RP103 and the CBM showed the most promising results regarding fungal antagonism. Our results indicate that the prophylactic treatment of field soil and maize seeds with the individual or a consortium of the rhizobacterial isolates can be an effective strategy to reduce F. verticillioides’ density on soil and the rhizospheric contamination of maize seedlings. In addition, this is the first study that describes in vitro and in planta biocontrol of Fusarium verticillioides by B. safensis individually and in combination with other Bacillus spp., highlighting its potential biocontrol applications.

枯萎镰孢（Fusarium v​​erticillioides）是玉米植物（Zea mays L.）的一种土壤传播植物病原体，由于根系，茎秆和耳部腐烂而造成主要的产量损失，并且由于霉菌毒素在谷物上的积累而造成质量损失。最近，生物防治实践已被证明可有效控制植物病原体，选择具有新竞争能力的独特生物防治剂是必不可少的，因为它们具有新的病原体防治方法的特征。本研究旨在分离玉米根际细菌针对潜在生物防治剂F.轮枝，并评估其对玉米幼苗生长的影响。在几种候选物中，分离株为安全芽孢杆菌RF69，芽孢杆菌。RP103和芽孢杆菌属。选择RP242是因为其具有很强的体外抗真菌能力。与对照植物相比，所有单独的根际细菌处理和联合细菌混合物（CBM）均可有效减少非根际土壤和玉米幼苗根际的真菌数量，并改善幼苗的生长参数。用分离的芽孢杆菌属sp处理。RP103和CBM在真菌拮抗作用方面显示出最有希望的结果。我们的结果表明，用根瘤菌的个体或财团对田间土壤和玉米种子进行预防性处理可以成为减少黄萎病菌的有效策略。在土壤中的密度和玉米幼苗的根际污染。此外，这是第一个描述了通过安全双歧杆菌单独和与其他芽孢杆菌属的组合在体外和植物体内对褐变镰刀菌的生物防治的研究，强调了其潜在的生物防治应用。